Would-Be Gateway Attacker Gets 10 Months

Just over a year after she was arrested for threatening to carry out an Adam Lanza-like attack on Gateway Community College, a 21-year-old woman was sentenced to prison for her crime.

A federal judge Monday sentenced the woman, East Haven’s Amanda Bowden (pictured), to 10 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. Since Bowden has been in custody for a total of over 10 months, she’s served her prison sentence already. She was released on Monday.

Bowden pleaded guilty on April 25, 2013, to one count of false information and hoaxes in connection to a number of threats she made in February, 2013.

In a press release, U.S. Attorney’s office spokesman Tom Carson said that, according to court documents and statements, “between approximately February 4 and February 16, 2013, BOWDEN made numerous telephonic threats, initially through text messaging with a cooperating witness and subsequently through text messaging and verbal conversations with an undercover law enforcement agent, discussing her plans to commit a suicidal mass shooting and bombing at Gateway Community College in New Haven. In these communications, BOWDEN claimed to possess firearms and to have constructed at least two napalm-based bombs at her residence.”

Bowden was arrested on Feb. 19, 2013. Police found no guns or bombs in her East Haven home.

She was held until May 14, 2013, when she was released on bond into “a Salvation Army program in Hartford that included mental health treatment.” On July 11, 2013, she was taken back into federal custody after she violated the conditions of her release.

Upon her release Monday, Bowden was transferred to a state inpatient mental health facility. Her internet usage will be monitored by the U.S. Probation Office during her three years of supervised release.

posted by: jim1 on March 4, 2014 2:46pm

Looks like a handgun. She was 20. That is a state law that you have to be 21 to have a handgun. Who did she get it from? Lets get some background info. The person who gave her the gun should get jail time. Let ATF follow up on this. Only 10 mts. The police should have tacked on a lot of other charges. When you the police and the courts let people walk on these things it does not help. So they will check her email BIG DEAL. This person will be back in court some time, and it might be a real thing she did or planed to do.

posted by: Walt on March 4, 2014 4:28pm

Wooster Square and jim1 have it right.

The judge and prosecutors should face serious penalties if her threats turn to actual violence just because they were duped or lenient

posted by: Bobbe Bellamy on March 4, 2014 6:32pm

This story only proves that GOOD money can get you out of anything. I know people who was given much more time for way less crime. Go figure.